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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to tire
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. land — to come down
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. squash — the sport
  13. land — a country
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cue — a signal
  17. land — ground
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com